Broadening Absorption in Conductive Polymers through Cross-linkable Side Chains in a Nonconjugated Polymer Backbone

Novel nonconjugated copolymer precursors containing polymerizable triEDOT and nonpolymerizable diphenyl triEDOT at side chains were synthesized by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Subjecting these polymers to oxidative conditions selectively cross-links the triEDOT units, while leaving the diphenyl triEDOT groups intact. The resulting cross-linked polymers exhibit broad absorption signals with tunable contributions from the diphenyl triEDOT oligomers and conjugated EDOT polymers.